Have you had to do anything to those tractorsIJ That is a lot of hours. I have always been told that once a tractor has about 6 or 7000 hours on it it is worn outIJ Keeping the old stuff is probably a good idea at least you know what has been done to it. You never know what you are going to get at an auction. I have a 4230 with an MandW turbo bought at forclousure auction that was rebuilt at 2000 hours. The tractor looked really nice and had been shed kept. I have since found out from some of the previous owner's neighbors that he blew it up tractor pulling. He had the dealer rebuild it and then the moron ran it 500 hours without ever changing the oil. I have had it 14 years and have put about a thousand hours on the tractor and have had no problems with it whatsoever so Deere engines must be pretty tough. I got a really good buy on it so even if I have to rebuild it prematurely I will still have come out ok. I also have a 1978 4440 dad bought in 1979 with 100 hrs after the first owner got run over by it, it now has 3000 hrs, and I have dad's 1972 3020 bought new and it only has 3000 hrs. I also still have my dad's old Massey Harris 44 diesel, that he bought when he started farming in 1953. It have no clue how many hours are on it, because the hour meter broke 40 years ago. Dad estimates that it has about 9,000 hours on it, it was overhauled for the third time in 1971. I still use it to rake and bale hay, and run the grain auger. I doubt the prices are coming down on the new stuff, so like you I am going to keep my old stuff well maintained. The only new piece of equipment that I have bought in the last 14 years is a 15' Great plains No-till drill. I sure hope the grain prices get back up. Dad used to make a good living farming just our 200 acres. Now I farm my place and rent two other farms, and I still have to have an off farm job.
